Marketing the Madness

March Madness has become one of the most well-known and expensive advertising opportunities of the year. More than ever, marketers are spending millions to get in on the action.

Why is it such a big deal? Aside from the Super Bowl, the NCAA tournament draws some of the highest ratings for sporting broadcasts. Last year, the NCAA Championship game had 22 million viewers. Over the past 10 years, 275 different sponsors have spent $5.2 billion on television ads for the games.

We put together this infographic to highlight various aspects of the tournament — from ticket sales to bracketology to social media. Let the madness continue, and enjoy the rest of the tournament.